A yoga academy dedicated to teaching authentic Indian and Tibetan Buddhist lineages in New York.

ROLE:

Interior and Biophilic Design
Experiential Design & Production
Event Design and Production
Brand Design & Strategy
Web, Print, Digital Design

In 2019 I started designing the Vessel Academy brand, developing an approachable, elegant, timeless brand for a traditional yoga institute offering authentic wisdom.

When Vessel was offered a brick and mortar space in Manhattan, I was asked to design the studio, creating a small but safe, energetically clean, and stunning space for philosophical exploration.

The Sarva Yoga method

I identified the key offerings that distinguished Vessel from other yoga studios, and formulated a content strategy to highlight big ticket items such as immersion programs and retreats by enforcing the brand’s heart-centered message.

As a yoga academy rooted deeply in authentic Tibetan Buddhist teachings, Vessel is more than a modern “fitness yoga” studio, taking great care to impart the ancient teachings in an uncontaminated container. I designed the brand to feel like the inside of a clean, ceramic cup: a metaphor Buddhists use to describe a perfect student.

The process

The space we had for a yoga studio was small, so every element was curated to maximize form and function.

Custom designs were human centric, designed with teachers and students at the top of mind. To create ambient lighting, I worked with my collaborators to create a CNC cut false ceiling, with strategically placed plates to cover recessed lighting while allowing for hardware access.

Textiles and hardware were carefully chosen to bring out the natural lighting and biophilic elements, warming up an otherwise cold Manhattan office space. We warmed up the space with live edge and raw wood elements: hand poured wood and resin sconces, live edge floating shelves, neutral tone stained cabinetry, and a white stained hardwood floor.